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Discomfort leads to McGowan getting shelved

Discomfort leads to McGowan getting shelved

Dustin McGowan 031012

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DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Right-hander Dustin McGowan has been temporarily shut down from all baseball activity because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

McGowan attempted to throw off flat ground on Wednesday morning, but the lingering discomfort caused problems with his mechanics. As a result, the Blue Jays have opted to limit McGowan's activity until he is deemed fully healthy.

"He felt like his arm slot would begin to vary a little bit, and that is the one telltale sign that we'll stay away from -- any variation from that putting the additional stress on the throwing motion," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said.

McGowan was expected to open the season as Toronto's No. 5 starter, but it now appears unlikely that he will be ready to go. That has opened the door for 24-year-old Kyle Drabek to break camp with the team.

Toronto has three off-days in the first two weeks of the season, which means the club would only need to go with a fifth starter once prior to April 21.